Toy blower



Nov. 19,1946. w. WILLIAMS 2,411,490

TOY BLOWER Filed Oct. 31. 1944 Ma 7 62 zz/zzzz'ams.

Patented Nov. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.

TOY BLOWER Ward Williams Brandon, Wis.

Application October 31, 1944, Serial No; 561,195

\ 3 Claims. 1

The invention aims to provide a simple, yet entertaining toy with whicha child may pretend to be threshing grain,filling a silo, etc.

In carrying out the above end, a blower casing is provided containing amotor-driven fan, said casing having an inlet for chaff, dry bits ofgrass or paper, bran, or other loose material, and being provided with adischarge pipe through which the material will be blown to simulate thedischarge from a threshing machine or that from a silo filling machine.As the chances are great that the child will endeavor to insert sticksand the like into the blower casing, afurther object of the invention isto make novel provision whereby danger of injury to the toy will beminimized.

Another object is to provide anovel feed means including a horizontalplate or table from which the child feeds the loosematerial into theblower casing, with his fingers. I

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing isa top plan view partly brokenaway and in horizontal section. v

Fig. 2 isa side elevation partly broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on line 33 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a different discharge pipe section whichmay be substituted for that shown in Fig. 2.

The general construction shown and described, may be considered aspreferred, with the understanding, however, that variations may be madewithin the scope of the invention as claimed.

Upon a suitable horizontal base 5, a blower casing 6 and an electricmotor I are fixedly mounted in axial alinement, the motor shaft 8 beingprovided with a fan 9 in said casing. One side wall In of the casing 6is fixedly and permanently mounted while the other side wall I I isreadily removable. This side wall II fits within the peripheral wall I2of the casing 6, as shown at I3 in Fig. 1, and is provided with acircumferential rib I4 which abuts the adjacent edge of said wall I2. Itwill be noted that the casing of the blower is of cylindrical shape, theperipheral wall I2 being a cylinder, the rear of which is closed by thecircular wall I9 integrally secured to the wall I2. The front end of theperipheral wall I2 is closed by the front wall I I. Two spring arms Iare secured to the outer side of the wall I2 and are provided at theirfree ends with substantially V-shaped detents I6 which yieldably engagethe rib l4 so as to normally hold the casing wall I I in place, yet topermit removal of this wall II by means of outward pressure exertedthereon. Thus, if the fan 9 crowds a stick or the like against the sidewall II, this wall will" simply be forced off, minimizing dangerofinjury to the toy.

The casing wall I I is formed with. an inlet opening I! having astraight lower edge I81 and straight vertical edges I9, and preferably astraight upper edge 20. Opposite theopening I1; at the outer side of thewall II, is asteeply1inclined plate 2|, the lower end of whichissuitably secured at 22. tosaidwall H, at the edge I3 of said opening H.The plate 21 diverges upwardly from the wall II andv is provided withtriangular side flanges 231 which are secured to the wall II along thevertical edges I 9v ofthe opening H. The inner edges of these flanges.23 may well be flanged at 24' to. be fastened at 25' to the wall I I, tosecure said flanges 23 to said wall. A horizontal plate or table 26 issecured tothe upper end of the inclined plate 21 and projects outwardlytherefrom, said, plate or table 26 having upwardly diverging sideflanges" 21 which extend from its outer end' to the wall I I', the innerportions of said flanges 2 1 being disposed at the upper ends of theaforesaid flanges 23. This structure provides for the support ofloosematerial to be fed into the casing by the child, and he may readily pushsuch material from the plate or table 26 into the chute formed by theplate 2I and its flanges 23, so that the material will be readily guidedinto the casing. The lower edge I8 of the opening H, in this regard, ispreferably transversely inclined as shown in Fig. 3. Also to prohibitthe child from inserting his fingers through the upper portion of theopening H, a barrier 28 may well project downwardly from the upper edgewall 20 of said opening.

The peripheral casing wall I2 is preferably provided with a laterallyprojecting stud 29 receivable in an opening 3!] in the rib I4 of thewall I I, to properly position this wall and hold it against rotation.

An outlet opening 3| is formed in the casing Wall I2 and communicateswith a lower fixed pipe section 32 which is secured to said wall. An in-.clined pipe section 33 (Fig. 2), or a vertical pipe section 34 (Fig.4), may be engaged with the section 32. Pipe section 33 is formed with acowl 35 for so directing the material discharged through the pipe as tosimulate the straw discharge from a threshing machine. Pipe section 34has a cowl 3B which will downwardly direct the discharged material tosimulate a silo filling operation.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, itwill be seen that novel and desirable provision has been made forcarrying out the objects of the invention. Chaff or any other loosematerial fed into the casing will be discharged through the deliverypipe in a manner to simulate the discharge from a large machine and willbe very pleasing to children. If the child endeavors to insert a stickor the like, it may be struck by the fan and immediately ejected, but ifit should be crowded forcibly against the wall II by said fan, this wallwill simply be forced off and no injury to the toy will be caused. Thiswall is also readily removable to permit cleaning of any accumulatedmatter from the interior of the casing 6.

It is preferable to provide the wall I! with air inlet openings 31 foradmitting more air to the casing than that which can enter through theopening [1 which may be more or less filled at times with the materialbeing fed into the toy.

Attention is again invited tothe possibility of making variations withinthe scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A toy. comprising a base, a substantially cylindrical blower casingmounted on said base and comprisingan upright back wall and a peripheralwall projecting therefrom and formed with an outlet, a discharge pipeextending from said outlet, a bladed centrifugal fan in said casinghaving its axis concentric with an opening in said back wall, means forsupporting and rotating said fan, areadily removable front wall for saidcasing having a peripheral portion to engage and seat on the entirefront edge of said peripheral wall of the casing, said front wall havingan inlet positioned to one side of the axis of rotation of said fan, afeed chute secured to said front wall and communicating with said inlet,and yieldable spring catches normally holding said front wall on saidperipheral Wall, said catches being yieldable to release said front wallby excessive outward pressure upon it, whereby a stick or the likeinserted through said inlet and crowded by said fan against saidremovable front wall, may

4 force it off of said peripheral wall instead of causing damage.

2. A toy comprising a substantially cylindrical blower casing having aperipheral wall formed with an outlet, said casing including a fixedside wall rigidly secured to said peripheral wall and a readilyremovable side wall provided with an inlet to one side of its center andhaving its peripheral portion seated on one edge of said peripheralwall, a rotary fan in said casing having blades to move past and closeto said inlet, and yieldable means normally securing said removable sidewall in place, said yieldable means being releasable by outward pressureon said removable side wall, whereby a stick or the like insertedthrough said inletand crowed by said fan against said removable sidewall, may force this wall ofi instead of causing damage.

3. A toy comprising a base, a blower casing mounted thereon andcomprising a cylindrical wall forming the periphery of the casing andprovided with an outlet, an apertured rear wall secured to one edge ofsaid peripheral wall and a readily removable front Wall to telescopewithin the other edge of said peripheral wall and formed with acircumferential rib abutting said other edge, said rib having anopening. a positioning stud on said peripheral wall to enter saidopening, said front wall having an inlet to one side of its center, aninclined feeding chute secured to said front Wall at its inlet andformed withxa horizontal feeding table at its upperfront edge, the topof said table being positioned in a plane below the top of said'inlet, adownwardly projecting barrier in the top of said inlet terminatingadjacent to the plane of said table, a centrifugal fan in said casinghaving its axis concentric with the aperture in said rear wall andprovided with blades to rotate past and close to said inlet, means forsupporting and rotating said fan, and yieldable catch springs secured atone end to said peripheral wall and having their other ends formed withV-shaped detents to yieldablyengage said rib to releasably hold saidfront wall of the casing.

, WARD WILLIAMS,

